Jones expects Minstermen to pose a real threat

Mike Simmonds

Hatters boss Nathan Jones isn’t reading anything into York City’s lowly league position ahead of their trip to Bootham Crescent tomorrow.

The hosts are currently sitting in the relegation zone, behind Yeovil Town on goal difference and are facing the very real threat of dropping back into the National League this term.

However, they only lost 2-1 to champions elect Northampton Town on Tuesday night, and had previously won three home games in a row to give themselves a fighting chance of staying up, as Jones said: “This league is like that, they’ve lost narrowly on Tuesday night to the runaway leaders, it was a close game.

“I went to watch them against Exeter and they won 2-0 in a comfortable game for them.

“So people keep looking at league positions, but it’s not necessarily where they are at this point in time.

“People change manager, people have runs or dips and peaks of form and that’s what we’ve got to be wary about.

“They’re in decent form, they have lost their last two, but they’ve come up against two good sides. Cambridge away is no easy game and then to play Northampton at home, it was a very difficult fixture.

“We’re very wary of them, know what they can pose, know the threats they have and it will be a very very difficult game.

“The trouble is people look at league position and then expectation gets adjusted accordingly, but it’s not like that, this league is not like that.

“Leagues in England are not like that, but especially now when people are fighting and picking up form and finding formulas to get points.

“It’s very, very difficult, this will be as difficult as any other league game in this division.”

York changed managers back in November, with former Dundee United boss Jackie McNamara taking over and although not having come up against him personally, Jones was aware of the Scottish international’s reputation.

He continued: “Jackie has worked most north of the border, so I haven’t come up against him, but I know he had a fantastic record at Dundee United.

“I went to watch some of the games he had because at Brighton, a few of their players were on our radar that moved on.

“He had a good squad there a few years back, did fantastically well, so it’s a manager I know, and his record at Dundee United was fantastic probably only second to Jim McLean.

“He’s doing a good job at York, I’ve seen them play, they’re a good outfit, try to play football, and it will be a difficult game.”